1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to road and area maps designed to illuminate specific positions of interest in the immediate vicinity of a particular location. The present invention is specially directed towards a map which folds into a compact package and as unfolded enlarges the scope of information directed outward from a given point. The present invention also provides an easy-to-follow fold path which helps prevent improper folding of the map back to an origin compact package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although many types of folding maps are available in the market place and seen in past art patents, the unique area enlargement features and the folding guide provided in the immediate invention are not seen either in the market place or in the past art patents examined.
A sampling of folding maps from a past-art patent search would include (1) the patent issued to G. Falk on Aug. 4, 1964, U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,363, which shows a method of folding a large map into a book form. (2) The Gaetano patent dated Sept. 15, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,333, showing a "Method for Locating Features on a Map." (3) The folding map shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,157, issued to Sink on Jan. 31, 1989, illustrating folding a single sheet in according fashion. Also there is a "Foldable Sheet" patent granted to Lein on Mar. 6, 1990U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,024, which describes folding a rectangular sheet by a plurality of intersecting folding edges.
The foregoing seems typical of folding maps and methods of folding various sheet forms. It is noted that any color coding used was for locating areas and not for aligning the map edges for folding. It is also noted the areas exposed by unfolding the past art maps are not directed outward from a particular location.